A Walk Through Vraj

A small group of us met with Dhanurdhara Swami for a guided walk through Vrindavan.  We saw only a small portion of Vraj, but it was amazing nonetheless.

Before the walk, we were invited to Dhanurdhara's home to meet with him.  At this point we were still reeling from culture shock, so Maharaj did his best to make us feel better.  As we were leaving his home he suddenly turned around and quickly rushed us back inside.  It turns out there was a snake charmer in the alley and he is quite afraid of snakes.  On our walk over to his home we were stopped by a gaggle of monkeys fighting, which totally freaked me out.  So first the monkeys, now the snake.  Later on we encountered two dogs fighting that were slopping muddy poo everywhere.  Dhanurdhara Swami commented that he's never seen such things before in Vrindavan, and we of course joked that leave it to us to come to India and this stuff happens.

I am always amazed at how much can be piled up on a small cart.  And not just with this hay, but people, food, boxes, and dried cow dung as well.

As we headed into the fields we came across peacocks.  In the photo below you can barely make them out off in the distance to the left.

Towards the Yamuna River side of Vrindavan are hundreds of fields, which grow mostly flowers.  The flowers are sold to the temples for garlands and offerings. 

Unfortunately, the Yamuna had recently flooded and wiped out the fields.  So many farmers lost their livelihoods.

 We came across a farmer walking back to his small hut.  Lila speaks Hindi and translated a conversation for us.  He lost his crops and home in the flood.  He has a wife and children to feed, and when asked what he will do he said he rebuilt his home and replanted his fields.  We asked what does he do for food and money.  He smiled and said he has none, but he has faith that his replanted fields will provide for his family.  Can you even imagine losing everything - and everything being only a small dirt hut and a few pieces of clothing - and surviving with no money, food or government assistance?

If you don't have electricity you need to rely on alternative forms of fuel... this is about as natural as it gets!

I do not like monkeys.

Even the baby monkeys frighten me.  In Vrindavan you can't wear glasses or a monkey may rip them off your face.  You can't eat food out in the open or they will rip it out of your hand.  You need to be careful carrying plastic bags or they will rip that out of your hand thinking there is food inside it.  And you definitely do not make eye contact with monkeys. 

We happened upon a calf which was the cutest little thing.  Baby cows are not frightening. 

This is how buildings are constructed....

Who needs concrete when you have sticks and bricks?

Beautiful gopis with flowers in their hair!

We were told that these cows are the original Vrindavan cows, which you can tell by the sagging skin at their neck.

The girls enjoyed cow seva.  G was a little hesitant at first, and an unruly bull in the vicinity didn't help the situation any, but it didn't take her long to let go of her fear and enjoy brushing the cow.  Which then came to an abrupt end when she stepped in a huge pile of cow poop.

 

I think there was a story about this building and its bricks.  But now I forget what it is.  You can see in the photo where bricks have been removed and in some places replaced.

My husband arrived back in Vrindavan today.  We miss him already.  And honestly, I do miss India.  So for those of you who have taken excerpts from this blog and used them in your blogging, please for once excerpt this one good thing I just said.  I need a reprieve from being made out to be a naive, spoiled American.  :-)